Men's Tennis

UCSB Wins Matches Against Westmont, Fresno Pacific to Open 2006 Season

Jan 21, 2006

Jan. 21, 2006

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -
UC Santa Barbara opened its 2006 men's tennis season by sweeping a pair of matches from NAIA opponents. The Gauchos topped Westmont College 6-1 in the morning match and they they edged Fresno Pacific 4-3 in an afternoon affair.

Junior Elad Stern, playing at No. 1 instead of No. 2, where he is likely to play much of the year, dropped a 6-2, 6-4 decision to Burke Marold. Nick Brotman, a First Team All-Big West choice in 2005 and the regular No. 1, was not in the lineup for the opener.

Brotman, however, did play doubles. He teamed with another UCSB freshman, Scott Hohenstein, to help the Gauchos to an 8-3 win at No. 1 doubles. The win came over Marold and Schiller. Stern and Dalskov topped Godfrey and Hilp by an 8-4 count and a tandem of Robertson/Brody shutout Kinsey and Warner 8-0 to give Santa Barbara a sweep of the doubles competition.

In the afternoon match the Gauchos fielded a team comprised of five
freshmen and senior No. 1 Nick Brotman. The Sunbirds countered with an international squad comprised of two Australians, a South African, a German, a Mexican and one American. UCSB raced off to a 3-0 lead, but Fresno Pacific fought back to 3-2 as the final two matches on court went to three sets. Max Taylor courageously sealed the victory for UCSB at the No. 4 spot, hitting a winning overhead off his opponent's smash in the final game.

"It was a great day for the freshmen class as they got to experience the pressure and excitement of playing in a really close match," said UCSB head coach Marty Davis. "Hopefully, we'll be able to draw on those positive memories later in the season...or maybe Monday.... when we take on #63 nationally ranked BYU."

UCSB returns to action on Monday, Jan. 23 when it hosts 63rd-ranked BYU on the Recreation Center Courts at 1:30 p.m.